Maoists targeted a vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, injuring three police personnel, including a driver, in a close call, on Sunday evening.
Fortunately, the vehicle narrowly avoided a direct hit from the blast.
STF Jawans Injured In IED Blast By Maoists
The incident occurred around 6 PM in the Gorla Nala area, as a pickup truck carrying Special Task Force (STF) jawans was returning from an anti-Maoist operation.
The truck, en route to Bijapur from Bhopalpatnam, was traveling along the national highway between Dampaya and Gorla Nala when the Maoists detonated the IED from the forest edge.
The explosion was powerful enough to create an eight-foot-wide crater, causing shrapnel injuries to two jawans and minor wounds to the driver.
Injured Personnel Receive Medical Treatment
The blast’s shockwaves injured the three personnel, who received initial treatment at the Madded Health Centre before doctors transferred them to Bijapur District Hospital for further care.
Authorities identified the injured as Ritesh Bhaskar (23), the driver, and two STF jawans.
Doctors report that all three are out of danger despite the explosion’s intensity.
This latest attack highlights the ongoing threat posed by Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh.
It follows a series of similar incidents in the region. In 2023, an IED blast in Dantewada’s Aranpur area claimed the lives of 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) soldiers and their driver.
Additionally, a deadly attack in Bijapur on January 6, 2025, killed eight soldiers and a driver while they were returning from an anti-Maoist mission.
Earlier this year, on March 20, 2025, security forces had another narrow escape when Maoists detonated an IED in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.
Although no serious injuries occurred, two policemen, including an officer, were evacuated for treatment after their eyes were affected by dust and debris caused by the blast.
The Madded police station is currently handling the investigation into this incident, which appears to be another example of Maoists planting IEDs along key roads used by security forces. Authorities have yet to determine the full extent of the Maoists’ activities in the area.
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